sermons

Emmanuel Lutheran Church
E-Mail: emmluth@comcast.net ELC Home Page About ELC Reverend Keith Enko Join us in Worship Directions Staff Ministries Journey through the Bible Comings & Goings Links	“It’s A Lot of Work, But It’s Worth It” Scripture Reference: John 7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." [By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." [By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified Confirmation and Pentecost Sunday, May 11, 2008 I would like to begin by telling you a little parable. There was this farmer who dug a well in order to supply water for his cattle and his family. He went down to about 15 feet, and after the well was completed there was about 6 feet of water in it. The farmer was pleased with this, for it provided all the water that he needed. But then a draught came and the water in the well began to go down. Little by little the level of the water lowered until finally the well was dry. The farmer was all upset, so he asked a friend, “What can I do?” “Well,” his friend said, “All you have to do is drill a well deep down into the bedrock and you’ll have all the water you need.” “But isn’t that a lot of work and costly?” the farmer asked. “Yes, of course it is,” his friend replied. “It’s a lot of work and it costs quite a bit, but you can’t live without water.” Well, the farmer was wise enough to listen to his friend’s advice. He drilled a well far beneath the surface and never lacked water again. So tell me Grasshopper, what have you learned from this? Well, what it teaches us very clearly is that we can’t live without water either, and I’m not just talking about the water we drink. I’m talking about the living water that Jesus brought up in today’s Gospel. Look at verse 37 and following. It reads, “On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’” Now, let me give you a little background on what was going on here. This feast that it brings up here was the Feast of Tabernacles, which really was an eight-day feast. On the last day of this feast, the High Priest would pour a mixture of wine and water into a special drain at the foot of the altar in the temple. The drain went out to the brook of Kidron. While the priest did this, there would be the blasting of ram horns, and singing and chanting by the Levites and the people. It was a very loud and exciting time. Now, the purpose of the pouring of the water and wine into this special drain was two-fold. First, it was really a prayer, asking God for the blessing of rain during their rainy season, which was about to begin. Being an agricultural country, they we’re totally dependent on this rain. The second reason for this pouring was a prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, not just on Israel, but on all people throughout the world. It was a prayer that the Spirit of God would touch the hearts of all people and bring them to faith in the One True God. Well, while all of this was going on that’s when Jesus stood up and told them about this living water. Of course, Jesus was also referring to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 39. It reads, “By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.” This of course, is referring to the day of Pentecost which we are celebrating today. Folks, this is that living water, the Holy Spirit that our dry souls so desperately need. This is that water that people need so much more than just the water that they drink. Okay, now let’s get back to that little parable. Remember at first how that farmer had a shallow well, but how that well dried up on him. Well, folks, we all have a tendency to try to get by with that kind of shallow well in our life. What I mean is that we tend to go after worldly things—financial security, possessions, living for leisure time—you know, the good stuff, the fun stuff, the worldly stuff. Yes, we say we have faith in the Lord, but that faith is kind of surfacy. It’s kind of a shallow well. It doesn’t go down very deep at all. Now, living that kind of life may keep people going for a while. But eventually these shallow wells dry up and leave folks frustrated, depressed, scared, and very empty. It leaves them thirsty, longing for that living water. Now, at that time, there are those who want the Lord to come to their aid immediately. They want this instant gratification. It’s like they say, “Okay Lord, I’m ready for You now. Fill me up with that water.” And they treat it as if it is some magical trick that the Lord works. Now, who knows, He may indeed zap them. But you know, from what I have seen, it doesn’t usually work that way. Instead, it is a lot like digging a deep well. It takes a lot of work and it costs, but in the end it’s worth it, because that living water just flows. Let me explain it this way. You folks know how I always talk about our faith in the Lord as a relationship. Well, with any relationship it takes time and effort to work on that relationship and develop it. And it may even cost you a lot. Look at Jesus! He loved us even before we knew who He was, even when we were enemies of God because of our sin. Now, He desperately wanted us to know Him and to love Him. So He did the only thing that could make this relationship possible. He came into this world and went to that cross in our place, with our sins on Him. Understand, everything that kept us so far away from our God, Jesus took onto Himself, and He put all of that to death in His sacrifice there. And through that sacrifice He made it possible for us to come into a close and loving relationship with God. Even though the cost was great—His very life—He gave His life for this relationship to happen. And now we are His for all eternity. Okay, what we need to understand is that, when it comes to this relationship, the same principles apply to us. Now folks, I don’t mean that we have to work hard to earn our salvation or Heaven. Jesus has already given all of this to us as a gift of love. What I am saying though is that, we can’t expect Jesus to do everything in this relationship and we do nothing. In other words, the tendency that a lot of us have in this relationship with the Lord is to be lazy, to not work at it, to just let it slide. That is digging a shallow well. And what happens with a shallow well is that, a lot of times, it dries up. Folks, for us to truly know the Lord and grow closer to Him, we need to dig deep into His Word, the Bible. The Scriptures show us so well who our Lord really is and all that He has done for us. We also need to dig deep in our prayer life, our devotional life, our worship life, even in the fellowship that we have with other Christians. You see, all of this takes time and effort. It requires work on our part, as all relationships do. And, most likely it will cost us, as well. It may mean giving up certain things, a certain way of life that we perhaps have become accustomed to. It may mean putting “self” aside, and putting the Lord and others before us. What I’m saying is that Jesus is calling us to a different lifestyle in this relationship, and it may mean that it costs us a great deal. But you know something? All of it is so worth it. Because when we dig deep like this in our life, when we dig that deep well in this relationship with the Lord, we’re never going to be thirsty again. Through God’s Word, through prayer, through worship, through our devotional life, through the fellowship that we have with our brothers and sisters in the faith, and even through putting aside those things that are not of God and putting the Lord and others first, that living water, the Holy Spirit, flows through all of this! And folks, this is what fills up that emptiness, that void, that searching that is in the hearts of so many. When those streams of living water flow within us, when we are in such a close relationship with our Lord, and we know His love, His forgiveness, His peace, and that wonderful life that He brings us, that’s when we don’t have to worry about being thirsty anymore. Now understand, digging that deep well is going to require work and it’s going to cost, but to never be thirsty again, boy, is that worth it! Now, the reason why I am sharing this with you seven confirmands today is because of the fact that after spending two years with you in class I think I’ve gotten to know you a little better. And I believe that, even though you have indeed grown in your faith, you are still at that shallow well level. So my encouragement to you is not to treat this confirmation as a graduation! Don’t think that you can stop digging your well. Now is the time for you to dig even deeper, to grow even more in your relationship with the Lord. And yes, that means being in God’s Word, being involved in the Youth Bible Study, worshiping with us, being involved in the fellowship here. But even more than that, it means having a lot of one on one time with your Lord who loves you so much. Be with Him in His Word, in prayer, in meditation, in worship. If you continue to dig this well deep, believe me, you will never go thirsty again, but instead, these wonderful streams of living water will flow from within you. And that’s my prayer for you. Amen. Pastor Keith E. Enko Emmanuel Lutheran Church Hermitage, Tennessee “Parting Blessing, Present Power” Scripture Reference: Luke 24:44-53 Sunday, May 4, 2008 Given by Pastor Keith Enko Today we are here to celebrate the Ascension of Jesus. Now, I want you to understand what I mean by this. This doesn’t mean that we are here simply to refresh our memories about this biblical event. This is a celebration! You see, celebrating an event means that, in a way, we are reliving that event, or at least, its power, its effect, is still being felt in the present, right here and now. That’s why I say that today is a celebration of Jesus’ ascension. If you look at Luke’s Gospel, he presents the ascension as something more than just Jesus leaving. What he is describing here is a bridge between the past and the future; the time of salvation and the time of the Church. The disciples lived through that time of salvation, the time of Jesus here on earth. But now, Jesus was leaving and a new time had come; the time to build up the Church in preparation for Jesus’ return. And what was happening here was that Jesus’ ascension was setting the stage for the building up of the Church. First of all, I want you to look at verses 44 and 45. It reads, “He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Of course, “the Scriptures” that He is referring to here, “the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms,” are what we call the Old Testament. This was the source of their message. This was to be the blueprint by which Christ’s Church would be built. Jesus opened their minds so that now they could understand the Scriptures. In other words, they now viewed the Scriptures from a whole new perspective. It was no longer simply a recitation of how God had acted to save His people during their long history. These Scriptures were now to be preached as forever pointing forward to their fulfillment in Christ. This is why, even today, the Old and New Testament must be taught and preached together; the prophecy and the fulfillment. For example, do you remember when I preached that sermon series on the Gospel in the Feasts of Israel? We looked at the seven feast that God gave to Israel and how the fulfillment of each feast was found in Christ, from His sacrifice on the cross to His victorious return. Well, that is just the tip of the iceberg. The Old Testament is filled with such incredible truths like this. This is why I get a little peeved when I hear some people say, “We really don’t need to study the Old Testament. We have the New Testament. That’s where we find Jesus. That’s where we find our salvation. So, that’s really all we need.” Folks, that is a statement made in complete ignorance. We can never fully understand the Christ of the New Testament, all that He is, and all that He has done for us, unless we understand the Old Testament. These Scriptures are still the source of our message. They are still the blueprint on which Christ’s Church is to be built. This is why I am so excited that so many of you will be joining me as tomorrow we begin our two year trek through the Scriptures. Folks, I promise you that in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, you will see Jesus and you will grow closer to Him in this faith relationship. You see folks, the whole purpose of the Scriptures is to point to Jesus as our Lord and our Savior. It is to show us so clearly that the reason why Jesus took our place and our sins onto Himself on that cross and died with them, was to bring us back to our Heavenly Father and back into this relationship of love and forgiveness and life in Him. This is that message of “repentance and forgiveness of sins,” that it brings up in verse 47. This is that message that is to be preached in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. And this is the message we hear so clearly in Scripture. Folks, my point is that the Scriptures, God’s Word, and understanding that Word, was absolutely vital for Jesus’ disciples as they began their work in building up the Church and it is just as vital for us today. And so, just as Jesus opened the disciples’ minds so that they could understand the Scriptures, He has also opened our minds. That happened at Jesus’ ascension and it is still happening today. That is one reason why we can truly celebrate Jesus’ ascension, because of what it means for us today. Now, another very important point that Jesus’ ascension brings out is that those disciples were not on their own. Look at what it says beginning at verse 48, “You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power on high.” So, here we have the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave His disciples the source of their message, the blueprint for their ministry in the Scriptures. And now He promised them “power from on high,” the power of the Holy Spirit, the power that changes people’s hearts and lives. Well, this is the same power that we need today in the Church. We just have to understand that we are not alone in this mission of bringing the saving Gospel of Christ to others. Jesus has promised us that same “power from on high.” You know, I can still remember how I felt when I graduated from seminary so many years ago. I had my diploma in hand. I had a blueprint for my ministry. I even had that promise of power from on high. But I also had a lot of questions. Would I be successful? Would my witness be effective? Would my witness be effective? Would I really have something to say week after week, that would make a difference in people’s lives? Now, do you see what I was doing? I was assuming that the power to move people and to change their lives was coming from me! What a dummy! Folks, the ability to make an impact on someone’s life, and even possibly change that life, does not come from an ability to speak from the pulpit, or from my skills as a teacher or counselor. I have no power at all to make a profound impact on anyone’s life. That power comes solely through the Holy Spirit. And I believe this is something that we all need to understand about ourselves. We are not on our own. Everything doesn’t rest on our shoulders. Those of you who are going to be going out this afternoon on that prayer canvass, I want you to understand this. Yes, you will be a witness for your Lord. You will be His mouthpiece, His hands, His feet. But understand, you are most definitely not on your own. If people’s lives are going to be touched, it is the Holy Spirit that is going to do that touching, not you. That “power from on high” that Jesus promised His disciples is still with us today, and folks we’ve just got to understand this! If we do, then we can really celebrate what Jesus was doing there at His ascension. You see, what I’m trying to bring out is that everything is really still the same. The mission of the Church is still the same. The source of the message, the blueprint of this message, is still the same. Even the power to carry out this mission is still the same. Folks, the message of Scripture and the power to proclaim it is still with us today! This is what we see so clearly with Jesus’ ascension, and this is what we are celebrating here today. Now, there’s one more thing that I want to point out about Jesus’ ascension. Beginning with verse 50, it says, “When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into Heaven.” Did you notice something there? While He was blessing them He was taken up into Heaven. Folks, He never lowered His hands. Now, what that means to me is that He is still blessing His followers today. He is still blessing you and me today, right now. Our Lord is still with us! Yes, He is risen and ascended, but He is still blessing us with His presence and His power. Now, remember what I said about celebrating an event? It means that we are reliving that event; or its power, its effect, is still being felt in the present right here and now. Well, isn’t this exactly what is happening here with Jesus’ ascension!? This is why today we can truly celebrate Jesus’ ascension. This is what gives us such confidence and courage, as we hold to the Scriptures, and as we proclaim, with that power from on high, this message of love, and forgiveness, and life in Christ Jesus. And so, it is my prayer today, that by the same power of the Holy Spirit, we would not just observe Jesus’ Ascension, but that we would actually celebrate it, knowing all that it means for us today. Amen. Pastor Keith E. Enko Emmanuel Lutheran Church Hermitage, Tennessee Song of the Caged Bird Scripture Reference: 1 Peter 3:`21 ...(21) and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.... Sunday, April 27, 2008 Given by Andrew Abraham The poet, Maya Angelou, wrote a strikingly beautiful poem called Caged Bird. In it, she goes on to tell what it is that a caged bird sings about, and, of course, it's freedom- something it longs for but cannot have. Everything in our lives is about freedom: Political philosophy, the job market, the economy, the health care industry, the insurance industry,- all are about freedom. Wall Street, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and the Big Three, literature, and the arts, travel destinations, education on every level - all are about freedom. We all want to be free! In fact, every human institution on earth, whether it succeeds or fails, is about being free. Think about it. Everything we do, we do because we crave freedom. So why aren't we free? Even if we are free, why do we so rarely feel free? It's simple , really. You see, you and I are hopelessly impaired by sin, and sin is the opposite of freedom. We are so oppressed by sin, this agent of evil, that it discolors every part of our lives- and I mean, all of us- even the saintliest. And, truthfully, I don't believe we appreciate what a mighty burden sin is, for we are constantly being drawn into things that destroy us. As St Paul himself agonized: Why do I do the things I don't want to do and not do the things I want to do? We are so afflicted by sin that we are not even close to understanding how much it eats away at us on a daily basis. And inasmuch as sin remains a defining characteristic of the human experience, we are not free, but rather conditioned to seek spiritual peace and prosperity in all the wrong places. This is precisely why I chose the passage from St Peter for my sermon this week. He's saying something to us that is extraordinary and defiles all our best reasoning. He says that, because we are baptized, we are given a clear conscience. What? !?!? A clear conscience? My friend, this makes on sense whatsoever! A clear conscience? No, that can't be right. This must be a misprint. (Preacher visibly consults the Sacred Writings again) Yep, there it is: For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the sprits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now save you also - not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. My friends, do we really know what this means? It means that because of Jesus Christ, we are right with God forever. No matter who we are, no matter what we've done, no matter what we are doing in our present lives, no matter what deficiencies we suffer, no matter what defects we are saddled with, no matter what we have ever failed to do, Jesus Christ transfer onto us his perfectly clear conscience, and takes on himself the totality of our guilt. God has given us something that we could never, ever give ourselves - a clear conscience - and he did this through the waters of holy baptism, and this ministry of the church is infallible - which means when the church baptizes somebody, no matter who that person is, he or she is free forever. Why do we so rarely feel free? Because we are afflicted by sin, and sin is just a reality this side of the grave. But how can we be confident that in spite of sin we really are free, because we have been baptized, and baptism never fails to give us a perfect conscience that is immune to sin - the very righteousness of Jesus Christ himself. Caged Bird by Maya Angelou A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky. But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bas of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tired so he opens his throat to sing. the caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. Andrew Abraham Emmanuel Lutheran Church Hermitage, Tennessee
“What an Invitation!!!” Scripture Reference: Revelation 22:12-17 Sunday, April 20, 2008 Given by Rev. Keith Enko A couple of weeks ago in one of my devotions, I was looking at this passage from Revelation that we read earlier. And it brought up the point how our thoughts need to be focused on Heaven daily. Well, that really had an impact on me, and it has stayed with me ever since. In fact, it has had such an impact on me that I thought I would share my thoughts on this with you today, in the hope that it would have an impact on you, as well. You see, I believe that we really don’t spend a great deal of time thinking about Heaven. For us, it is like heaven is so far off in our future that it almost seems to be a waste of time to think about it. Besides, we have so many other pressing things to think about. It’s almost as if Heaven is simply the happy ending in a fairy tail. In other words, I believe that the reality of Heaven really hasn’t had a tremendous impact on how we live our life today. We just kind of shove the whole idea of Heaven off to the side of our life. Well, folks, listen to what C.S. Lewis wrote about this topic of Heaven. He said, “The Apostles…who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” What he is saying here is that, thoughts of Heaven should constantly be on our minds, directing how we live out our faith in Christ Jesus today, right now. Because the truth of the matter is, when this world and all that is in it ceases to exist, there will still be those celebrating life more than ever before. They will be alive, vibrant, and happy. There will be laughter, singing, fellowship, and peace beyond our imaginations. And guess what? You and I have been invited to be a part of this celebration of life. In fact, this invitation is so important that the Bible even concludes with it, as we read in that Revelation passage. Three times the invitation is given. Look at verse 17. It says, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” Okay, now let’s understand one very important truth about this invitation. We are invited to come just as we are. And boy, do we ever need to hold on to this truth! I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say, “I hope I go to Heaven,” as if they weren’t sure of it. They look at their life and see all their sins, all the times that they really messed up, hurting the Lord, hurting others, hurting themselves, and they feel so unworthy. Can anyone relate to that? Sure, we all can! Let’s face it, none of us are worthy of receiving this invitation of love and forgiveness and life and Heaven in Christ Jesus. But look who is extending the invitation! I’m sure that many of you have heard of John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist church. But you might not be familiar with their sister, Hetty. At age 27, Hetty became involved with a young man and ran off with him, in spite of her Father’s warnings. And for a while she lived with him, without being married. However, when she became pregnant and he refused to marry her, Hetty decided to return home. Brokenhearted, she wanted to fall at the feet of her disgraced father and beg his forgiveness. But he would not give her that satisfaction. He all but banished her from the family. He forced her to marry a disreputable man, who was a drunkard and who abused her. And all the while Hetty pleaded with her Father for reconciliation, especially at the birth and early death of her child, but he would not have anything to do with her. He went to his grave without ever showing his daughter the slightest sign of mercy or compassion. Now, I realize this is a rather extreme example, but the reason I brought this up is because, often we love just like Hetty’s Father. We love only to a point. If we are hurt or disgraced, well that’s the end of that relationship. And we exchange that love for a grudge, or anger, or even hatred. And so, because we tend to love this way, we think that this is how God loves us. But He doesn’t! He loves us without any conditions involved. Even thought we have hurt Him, disgraced Him, turned our back on Him, He forgives and welcomes us home with open arms. God is love, pure, unconditional love. And we don’t need to look any further than Jesus to see this. It was love that brought Jesus into this world. It was love that brought Him to the cross where He took our sins, our disgrace onto Himself and put them to death in His sacrifice. And it was love that raised Him to life, giving us life, a life that will never end. This is why we can accept this invitation of Heaven just as we are. This is why we can be so confident that Heaven is most definitely our home. And folks, this is a gift of love, God’s love, His unconditional love. But understand this is not just a gift that we get to unwrap some day in the distant future. This gift does indeed have an affect on us today. Because you see, what this gift does is it gives us hope, it fills us with such a wonderful confidence, and it brings us peace because it makes us see that this life is a breath, but our life is in Christ and that life is eternal. This gift changes everything in our life today. It changes the way we look at this life. It changes the way we deal with issues, or problems, or hurdles in our life. It changes the way we deal with people on an everyday basis. It changes the way that we look at Church and the mission, the ministry that our Lord has given us. It even changes the way that we look at sickness, disease, and even death. It changes everything! Folks, when our eyes are focused on Heaven, this is what it does to us. Let me explain it this way. There was this little boy whose Mother had died. So, the Father tried his best to be both Mom and Dad. Well, one evening the Father told his son that the next day they were going on a picnic. Now, this little guy had never been on a picnic. So, that night he found it extremely difficult to sleep, he was just so excited thinking about the picnic the next day. Soon there was that patter of little feet running down the hall to where his Father was sleeping. Waking up, the Father asked, “What’s the matter, son?” “Oh, Daddy,” the little boy said, “tomorrow is going to be so wonderful. I just can’t sleep, I’m so excited.” Well, the Father laughed and brought him back to his room as he tucked his little guy into bed, his son gave him a big hug and said, “Daddy, I just want to thank you for tomorrow.” Folks, the point is, even thought Heaven is in our future, we can still live in the excitement of tomorrow—today just like that little boy. This is really what gives us a whole new attitude a makes us say to our Heavenly Father, “Daddy, I just want to thank You for tomorrow.” You see, this is what C.S. Lewis was talking about. And folks, this is really such a wonderful way to live our life today. That’s why today I pray, that by the power of the Holy Spirit working in our life, we would all take hold of this incredible invitation, this wonderful gift that Jesus offers us, and that we begin today, at this very moment, to celebrate this gift of Heaven that our Daddy has promised us. Amen. Pastor Keith E. Enko Emmanuel Lutheran Church Hermitage, Tennessee

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

“It’s A Lot of Work, But It’s Worth It”

Scripture Reference: John 7:37-39

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." [By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." [By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified

Confirmation and Pentecost Sunday, May 11, 2008

I would like to begin by telling you a little parable. There was this farmer who dug a well in order to supply water for his cattle and his family. He went down to about 15 feet, and after the well was completed there was about 6 feet of water in it. The farmer was pleased with this, for it provided all the water that he needed. But then a draught came and the water in the well began to go down. Little by little the level of the water lowered until finally the well was dry.

The farmer was all upset, so he asked a friend, “What can I do?” “Well,” his friend said, “All you have to do is drill a well deep down into the bedrock and you’ll have all the water you need.” “But isn’t that a lot of work and costly?” the farmer asked. “Yes, of course it is,” his friend replied. “It’s a lot of work and it costs quite a bit, but you can’t live without water.” Well, the farmer was wise enough to listen to his friend’s advice. He drilled a well far beneath the surface and never lacked water again.

So tell me Grasshopper, what have you learned from this? Well, what it teaches us very clearly is that we can’t live without water either, and I’m not just talking about the water we drink. I’m talking about the living water that Jesus brought up in today’s Gospel. Look at verse 37 and following. It reads, “On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’”

Now, let me give you a little background on what was going on here. This feast that it brings up here was the Feast of Tabernacles, which really was an eight-day feast. On the last day of this feast, the High Priest would pour a mixture of wine and water into a special drain at the foot of the altar in the temple. The drain went out to the brook of Kidron. While the priest did this, there would be the blasting of ram horns, and singing and chanting by the Levites and the people. It was a very loud and exciting time.

Now, the purpose of the pouring of the water and wine into this special drain was two-fold. First, it was really a prayer, asking God for the blessing of rain during their rainy season, which was about to begin. Being an agricultural country, they we’re totally dependent on this rain. The second reason for this pouring was a prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, not just on Israel, but on all people throughout the world. It was a prayer that the Spirit of God would touch the hearts of all people and bring them to faith in the One True God.

Well, while all of this was going on that’s when Jesus stood up and told them about this living water. Of course, Jesus was also referring to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 39. It reads, “By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.” This of course, is referring to the day of Pentecost which we are celebrating today. Folks, this is that living water, the Holy Spirit that our dry souls so desperately need. This is that water that people need so much more than just the water that they drink.

Okay, now let’s get back to that little parable. Remember at first how that farmer had a shallow well, but how that well dried up on him. Well, folks, we all have a tendency to try to get by with that kind of shallow well in our life. What I mean is that we tend to go after worldly things—financial security, possessions, living for leisure time—you know, the good stuff, the fun stuff, the worldly stuff. Yes, we say we have faith in the Lord, but that faith is kind of surfacy. It’s kind of a shallow well. It doesn’t go down very deep at all.

Now, living that kind of life may keep people going for a while. But eventually these shallow wells dry up and leave folks frustrated, depressed, scared, and very empty. It leaves them thirsty, longing for that living water. Now, at that time, there are those who want the Lord to come to their aid immediately. They want this instant gratification. It’s like they say, “Okay Lord, I’m ready for You now. Fill me up with that water.” And they treat it as if it is some magical trick that the Lord works.

Now, who knows, He may indeed zap them. But you know, from what I have seen, it doesn’t usually work that way. Instead, it is a lot like digging a deep well. It takes a lot of work and it costs, but in the end it’s worth it, because that living water just flows.

Let me explain it this way. You folks know how I always talk about our faith in the Lord as a relationship. Well, with any relationship it takes time and effort to work on that relationship and develop it. And it may even cost you a lot.

Look at Jesus! He loved us even before we knew who He was, even when we were enemies of God because of our sin. Now, He desperately wanted us to know Him and to love Him. So He did the only thing that could make this relationship possible. He came into this world and went to that cross in our place, with our sins on Him. Understand, everything that kept us so far away from our God, Jesus took onto Himself, and He put all of that to death in His sacrifice there. And through that sacrifice He made it possible for us to come into a close and loving relationship with God. Even though the cost was great—His very life—He gave His life for this relationship to happen. And now we are His for all eternity.

Okay, what we need to understand is that, when it comes to this relationship, the same principles apply to us. Now folks, I don’t mean that we have to work hard to earn our salvation or Heaven. Jesus has already given all of this to us as a gift of love. What I am saying though is that, we can’t expect Jesus to do everything in this relationship and we do nothing. In other words, the tendency that a lot of us have in this relationship with the Lord is to be lazy, to not work at it, to just let it slide. That is digging a shallow well. And what happens with a shallow well is that, a lot of times, it dries up.

Folks, for us to truly know the Lord and grow closer to Him, we need to dig deep into His Word, the Bible. The Scriptures show us so well who our Lord really is and all that He has done for us. We also need to dig deep in our prayer life, our devotional life, our worship life, even in the fellowship that we have with other Christians. You see, all of this takes time and effort. It requires work on our part, as all relationships do.

And, most likely it will cost us, as well. It may mean giving up certain things, a certain way of life that we perhaps have become accustomed to. It may mean putting “self” aside, and putting the Lord and others before us. What I’m saying is that Jesus is calling us to a different lifestyle in this relationship, and it may mean that it costs us a great deal.

But you know something? All of it is so worth it. Because when we dig deep like this in our life, when we dig that deep well in this relationship with the Lord, we’re never going to be thirsty again. Through God’s Word, through prayer, through worship, through our devotional life, through the fellowship that we have with our brothers and sisters in the faith, and even through putting aside those things that are not of God and putting the Lord and others first, that living water, the Holy Spirit, flows through all of this!

And folks, this is what fills up that emptiness, that void, that searching that is in the hearts of so many. When those streams of living water flow within us, when we are in such a close relationship with our Lord, and we know His love, His forgiveness, His peace, and that wonderful life that He brings us, that’s when we don’t have to worry about being thirsty anymore. Now understand, digging that deep well is going to require work and it’s going to cost, but to never be thirsty again, boy, is that worth it!

Now, the reason why I am sharing this with you seven confirmands today is because of the fact that after spending two years with you in class I think I’ve gotten to know you a little better. And I believe that, even though you have indeed grown in your faith, you are still at that shallow well level. So my encouragement to you is not to treat this confirmation as a graduation! Don’t think that you can stop digging your well. Now is the time for you to dig even deeper, to grow even more in your relationship with the Lord. And yes, that means being in God’s Word, being involved in the Youth Bible Study, worshiping with us, being involved in the fellowship here.

But even more than that, it means having a lot of one on one time with your Lord who loves you so much. Be with Him in His Word, in prayer, in meditation, in worship. If you continue to dig this well deep, believe me, you will never go thirsty again, but instead, these wonderful streams of living water will flow from within you. And that’s my prayer for you. Amen.

Pastor Keith E. Enko

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Hermitage, Tennessee

“Parting Blessing, Present Power”

Scripture Reference: Luke 24:44-53

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Given by Pastor Keith Enko

Today we are here to celebrate the Ascension of Jesus. Now, I want you to understand what I mean by this. This doesn’t mean that we are here simply to refresh our memories about this biblical event. This is a celebration! You see, celebrating an event means that, in a way, we are reliving that event, or at least, its power, its effect, is still being felt in the present, right here and now.

That’s why I say that today is a celebration of Jesus’ ascension. If you look at Luke’s Gospel, he presents the ascension as something more than just Jesus leaving. What he is describing here is a bridge between the past and the future; the time of salvation and the time of the Church. The disciples lived through that time of salvation, the time of Jesus here on earth. But now, Jesus was leaving and a new time had come; the time to build up the Church in preparation for Jesus’ return.

And what was happening here was that Jesus’ ascension was setting the stage for the building up of the Church. First of all, I want you to look at verses 44 and 45. It reads, “He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” Of course, “the Scriptures” that He is referring to here, “the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms,” are what we call the Old Testament. This was the source of their message. This was to be the blueprint by which Christ’s Church would be built.

Jesus opened their minds so that now they could understand the Scriptures. In other words, they now viewed the Scriptures from a whole new perspective. It was no longer simply a recitation of how God had acted to save His people during their long history. These Scriptures were now to be preached as forever pointing forward to their fulfillment in Christ.

This is why, even today, the Old and New Testament must be taught and preached together; the prophecy and the fulfillment. For example, do you remember when I preached that sermon series on the Gospel in the Feasts of Israel? We looked at the seven feast that God gave to Israel and how the fulfillment of each feast was found in Christ, from His sacrifice on the cross to His victorious return. Well, that is just the tip of the iceberg. The Old Testament is filled with such incredible truths like this.

This is why I get a little peeved when I hear some people say, “We really don’t need to study the Old Testament. We have the New Testament. That’s where we find Jesus. That’s where we find our salvation. So, that’s really all we need.” Folks, that is a statement made in complete ignorance. We can never fully understand the Christ of the New Testament, all that He is, and all that He has done for us, unless we understand the Old Testament. These Scriptures are still the source of our message. They are still the blueprint on which Christ’s Church is to be built. This is why I am so excited that so many of you will be joining me as tomorrow we begin our two year trek through the Scriptures. Folks, I promise you that in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, you will see Jesus and you will grow closer to Him in this faith relationship.

You see folks, the whole purpose of the Scriptures is to point to Jesus as our Lord and our Savior. It is to show us so clearly that the reason why Jesus took our place and our sins onto Himself on that cross and died with them, was to bring us back to our Heavenly Father and back into this relationship of love and forgiveness and life in Him. This is that message of “repentance and forgiveness of sins,” that it brings up in verse 47. This is that message that is to be preached in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. And this is the message we hear so clearly in Scripture.

Folks, my point is that the Scriptures, God’s Word, and understanding that Word, was absolutely vital for Jesus’ disciples as they began their work in building up the Church and it is just as vital for us today. And so, just as Jesus opened the disciples’ minds so that they could understand the Scriptures, He has also opened our minds. That happened at Jesus’ ascension and it is still happening today. That is one reason why we can truly celebrate Jesus’ ascension, because of what it means for us today.

Now, another very important point that Jesus’ ascension brings out is that those disciples were not on their own. Look at what it says beginning at verse 48, “You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power on high.”

So, here we have the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave His disciples the source of their message, the blueprint for their ministry in the Scriptures. And now He promised them “power from on high,” the power of the Holy Spirit, the power that changes people’s hearts and lives. Well, this is the same power that we need today in the Church. We just have to understand that we are not alone in this mission of bringing the saving Gospel of Christ to others. Jesus has promised us that same “power from on high.”

You know, I can still remember how I felt when I graduated from seminary so many years ago. I had my diploma in hand. I had a blueprint for my ministry. I even had that promise of power from on high. But I also had a lot of questions.

Would I be successful? Would my witness be effective? Would my witness be effective? Would I really have something to say week after week, that would make a difference in people’s lives? Now, do you see what I was doing? I was assuming that the power to move people and to change their lives was coming from me! What a dummy!

Folks, the ability to make an impact on someone’s life, and even possibly change that life, does not come from an ability to speak from the pulpit, or from my skills as a teacher or counselor. I have no power at all to make a profound impact on anyone’s life. That power comes solely through the Holy Spirit.

And I believe this is something that we all need to understand about ourselves. We are not on our own. Everything doesn’t rest on our shoulders. Those of you who are going to be going out this afternoon on that prayer canvass, I want you to understand this. Yes, you will be a witness for your Lord. You will be His mouthpiece, His hands, His feet. But understand, you are most definitely not on your own.

If people’s lives are going to be touched, it is the Holy Spirit that is going to do that touching, not you. That “power from on high” that Jesus promised His disciples is still with us today, and folks we’ve just got to understand this! If we do, then we can really celebrate what Jesus was doing there at His ascension.

You see, what I’m trying to bring out is that everything is really still the same. The mission of the Church is still the same. The source of the message, the blueprint of this message, is still the same. Even the power to carry out this mission is still the same.

Folks, the message of Scripture and the power to proclaim it is still with us today! This is what we see so clearly with Jesus’ ascension, and this is what we are celebrating here today.

Now, there’s one more thing that I want to point out about Jesus’ ascension. Beginning with verse 50, it says, “When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into Heaven.” Did you notice something there? While He was blessing them He was taken up into Heaven.

Folks, He never lowered His hands. Now, what that means to me is that He is still blessing His followers today. He is still blessing you and me today, right now. Our Lord is still with us! Yes, He is risen and ascended, but He is still blessing us with His presence and His power. Now, remember what I said about celebrating an event? It means that we are reliving that event; or its power, its effect, is still being felt in the present right here and now. Well, isn’t this exactly what is happening here with Jesus’ ascension!?

This is why today we can truly celebrate Jesus’ ascension. This is what gives us such confidence and courage, as we hold to the Scriptures, and as we proclaim, with that power from on high, this message of love, and forgiveness, and life in Christ Jesus. And so, it is my prayer today, that by the same power of the Holy Spirit, we would not just observe Jesus’ Ascension, but that we would actually celebrate it, knowing all that it means for us today. Amen.

Pastor Keith E. Enko

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Hermitage, Tennessee

Song of the Caged Bird

Scripture Reference: 1 Peter 3:`21

...(21) and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God....

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Given by Andrew Abraham

The poet, Maya Angelou, wrote a strikingly beautiful poem called Caged Bird. In it, she goes on to tell what it is that a caged bird sings about, and, of course, it's freedom- something it longs for but cannot have.

Everything in our lives is about freedom: Political philosophy, the job market, the economy, the health care industry, the insurance industry,- all are about freedom. Wall Street, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and the Big Three, literature, and the arts, travel destinations, education on every level - all are about freedom. We all want to be free! In fact, every human institution on earth, whether it succeeds or fails, is about being free. Think about it. Everything we do, we do because we crave freedom.

So why aren't we free? Even if we are free, why do we so rarely feel free? It's simple , really. You see, you and I are hopelessly impaired by sin, and sin is the opposite of freedom. We are so oppressed by sin, this agent of evil, that it discolors every part of our lives- and I mean, all of us- even the saintliest. And, truthfully, I don't believe we appreciate what a mighty burden sin is, for we are constantly being drawn into things that destroy us. As St Paul himself agonized: Why do I do the things I don't want to do and not do the things I want to do? We are so afflicted by sin that we are not even close to understanding how much it eats away at us on a daily basis. And inasmuch as sin remains a defining characteristic of the human experience, we are not free, but rather conditioned to seek spiritual peace and prosperity in all the wrong places.

This is precisely why I chose the passage from St Peter for my sermon this week. He's saying something to us that is extraordinary and defiles all our best reasoning. He says that, because we are baptized, we are given a clear conscience. What? !?!? A clear conscience? My friend, this makes on sense whatsoever! A clear conscience? No, that can't be right. This must be a misprint. (Preacher visibly consults the Sacred Writings again) Yep, there it is: For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the sprits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now save you also - not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.

My friends, do we really know what this means? It means that because of Jesus Christ, we are right with God forever. No matter who we are, no matter what we've done, no matter what we are doing in our present lives, no matter what deficiencies we suffer, no matter what defects we are saddled with, no matter what we have ever failed to do, Jesus Christ transfer onto us his perfectly clear conscience, and takes on himself the totality of our guilt. God has given us something that we could never, ever give ourselves - a clear conscience - and he did this through the waters of holy baptism, and this ministry of the church is infallible - which means when the church baptizes somebody, no matter who that person is, he or she is free forever.

Why do we so rarely feel free? Because we are afflicted by sin, and sin is just a reality this side of the grave. But how can we be confident that in spite of sin we really are free, because we have been baptized, and baptism never fails to give us a perfect conscience that is immune to sin - the very righteousness of Jesus Christ himself.

Caged Bird

by Maya Angelou

A free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wing

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bas of rage

his wings are clipped and

his feet are tired

so he opens his throat to sing.

the caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

Andrew Abraham

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Hermitage, Tennessee

“What an Invitation!!!”

Scripture Reference: Revelation 22:12-17

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Given by Rev. Keith Enko

A couple of weeks ago in one of my devotions, I was looking at this passage from Revelation that we read earlier. And it brought up the point how our thoughts need to be focused on Heaven daily. Well, that really had an impact on me, and it has stayed with me ever since. In fact, it has had such an impact on me that I thought I would share my thoughts on this with you today, in the hope that it would have an impact on you, as well.

You see, I believe that we really don’t spend a great deal of time thinking about Heaven. For us, it is like heaven is so far off in our future that it almost seems to be a waste of time to think about it. Besides, we have so many other pressing things to think about. It’s almost as if Heaven is simply the happy ending in a fairy tail. In other words, I believe that the reality of Heaven really hasn’t had a tremendous impact on how we live our life today. We just kind of shove the whole idea of Heaven off to the side of our life.

Well, folks, listen to what C.S. Lewis wrote about this topic of Heaven. He said, “The Apostles…who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the slave trade, all left their mark on earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”

What he is saying here is that, thoughts of Heaven should constantly be on our minds, directing how we live out our faith in Christ Jesus today, right now. Because the truth of the matter is, when this world and all that is in it ceases to exist, there will still be those celebrating life more than ever before. They will be alive, vibrant, and happy. There will be laughter, singing, fellowship, and peace beyond our imaginations. And guess what? You and I have been invited to be a part of this celebration of life.

In fact, this invitation is so important that the Bible even concludes with it, as we read in that Revelation passage. Three times the invitation is given. Look at verse 17. It says, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”

Okay, now let’s understand one very important truth about this invitation. We are invited to come just as we are. And boy, do we ever need to hold on to this truth! I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say, “I hope I go to Heaven,” as if they weren’t sure of it. They look at their life and see all their sins, all the times that they really messed up, hurting the Lord, hurting others, hurting themselves, and they feel so unworthy. Can anyone relate to that? Sure, we all can! Let’s face it, none of us are worthy of receiving this invitation of love and forgiveness and life and Heaven in Christ Jesus. But look who is extending the invitation!

I’m sure that many of you have heard of John and Charles Wesley, the founders of the Methodist church. But you might not be familiar with their sister, Hetty. At age 27, Hetty became involved with a young man and ran off with him, in spite of her Father’s warnings. And for a while she lived with him, without being married. However, when she became pregnant and he refused to marry her, Hetty decided to return home.

Brokenhearted, she wanted to fall at the feet of her disgraced father and beg his forgiveness. But he would not give her that satisfaction. He all but banished her from the family. He forced her to marry a disreputable man, who was a drunkard and who abused her. And all the while Hetty pleaded with her Father for reconciliation, especially at the birth and early death of her child, but he would not have anything to do with her. He went to his grave without ever showing his daughter the slightest sign of mercy or compassion.

Now, I realize this is a rather extreme example, but the reason I brought this up is because, often we love just like Hetty’s Father. We love only to a point. If we are hurt or disgraced, well that’s the end of that relationship. And we exchange that love for a grudge, or anger, or even hatred. And so, because we tend to love this way, we think that this is how God loves us. But He doesn’t! He loves us without any conditions involved. Even thought we have hurt Him, disgraced Him, turned our back on Him, He forgives and welcomes us home with open arms. God is love, pure, unconditional love. And we don’t need to look any further than Jesus to see this. It was love that brought Jesus into this world. It was love that brought Him to the cross where He took our sins, our disgrace onto Himself and put them to death in His sacrifice. And it was love that raised Him to life, giving us life, a life that will never end.

This is why we can accept this invitation of Heaven just as we are. This is why we can be so confident that Heaven is most definitely our home. And folks, this is a gift of love, God’s love, His unconditional love.

But understand this is not just a gift that we get to unwrap some day in the distant future. This gift does indeed have an affect on us today. Because you see, what this gift does is it gives us hope, it fills us with such a wonderful confidence, and it brings us peace because it makes us see that this life is a breath, but our life is in Christ and that life is eternal. This gift changes everything in our life today. It changes the way we look at this life. It changes the way we deal with issues, or problems, or hurdles in our life. It changes the way we deal with people on an everyday basis. It changes the way that we look at Church and the mission, the ministry that our Lord has given us. It even changes the way that we look at sickness, disease, and even death. It changes everything! Folks, when our eyes are focused on Heaven, this is what it does to us.

Let me explain it this way. There was this little boy whose Mother had died. So, the Father tried his best to be both Mom and Dad. Well, one evening the Father told his son that the next day they were going on a picnic. Now, this little guy had never been on a picnic. So, that night he found it extremely difficult to sleep, he was just so excited thinking about the picnic the next day.

Soon there was that patter of little feet running down the hall to where his Father was sleeping. Waking up, the Father asked, “What’s the matter, son?” “Oh, Daddy,” the little boy said, “tomorrow is going to be so wonderful. I just can’t sleep, I’m so excited.” Well, the Father laughed and brought him back to his room as he tucked his little guy into bed, his son gave him a big hug and said, “Daddy, I just want to thank you for tomorrow.”

Folks, the point is, even thought Heaven is in our future, we can still live in the excitement of tomorrow—today just like that little boy. This is really what gives us a whole new attitude a makes us say to our Heavenly Father, “Daddy, I just want to thank You for tomorrow.” You see, this is what C.S. Lewis was talking about. And folks, this is really such a wonderful way to live our life today.

That’s why today I pray, that by the power of the Holy Spirit working in our life, we would all take hold of this incredible invitation, this wonderful gift that Jesus offers us, and that we begin today, at this very moment, to celebrate this gift of Heaven that our Daddy has promised us. Amen.

Pastor Keith E. Enko

Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Hermitage, Tennessee